Recieved this today..for you canadian guys, read below on how to go about the claim process. It's been a long time but it is finally here.

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IMPORTANT: The following Final Notice of Certification and Settlement Approval has been approved by Canadian courts to inform you that a settlement of the class action lawsuit against General Motors has been approved and to inform you of the procedure for claiming compensation.

Please note that if you have already completed a Questionnaire for the plaintiffs' lawyers (such as Stevensons LLP or Koskie Minsky LLP), you will still need to submit a Claim Form with supporting documents to the General Motors Customer Communications Centre to claim compensation (see the section, "How to Make a Claim"). If you previously provided your original receipts and records to the plaintiffs' lawyers (such as Stevensons LLP or Koskie Minsky LLP) such documents will be returned to you upon request, should you so require, as you will need to submit the Claim Form and supporting documentation yourself. Plaintiffs' lawyers will not be making individual claims on behalf of class members.

Please review the Final Notice of Certification and Settlement Approval in full and contact the General Motors Customer Communications Centre should you have any questions at:

A settlement has been reached between the plaintiffs (the individuals who commenced the lawsuit) and GM, (the “Settlement”). The members of the class affected by the Settlement are generally those who owned or leased certain GM vehicles, listed below, who incurred expenses for certain related repairs (“National Class Members”). Please note that vehicles must be for personal, family, or household use, NOT for commercial or business purposes.

The Settlement has been approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the action has been certified as a class action by the Court for the purpose of effecting the Settlement. The class counsel fees have been approved provisionally, subject to further order of the courts

This Notice is to advise you of the certification of the class action for settlement purposes and the approval by the Court of the Settlement and to inform you of your rights as a Class Member. You will be bound by the terms of the Settlement unless you decide to exclude yourself by opting out. Opting out is explained in this Notice.

The class action was certified for settlement purposes and the Settlement approved by Order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on October 20, 2008. The class counsel fees were approved provisionally, subject to further order of the courts.

The Settlement does not constitute any admission of liability by GM, which denies the allegations.

Terms of the Settlement

All National Class Members who submit a proper Claim Form, Proof of Expenditure, and Proof of Ownership before April 30, 2009 will be eligible to receive payment from the Claims Administrator according to the following payment schedule:

(a) For National Class Members who incurred an eligible repair expense within five years of the Date of Initial Vehicle Delivery, an amount equal to the eligible repair expense, up to a maximum of $400.

(b) For National Class Members who incurred an eligible repair expense in the sixth year after the Date of Initial Vehicle Delivery, an amount equal to the eligible repair expense, up to a maximum of $100.

(c) For National Class Members who incurred an eligible repair expense in the seventh year after the Date of Initial Vehicle Delivery, an amount equal to the eligible repair expense, up to a maximum of $50.

Any National Class Member who is eligible to receive cash payment under subparagraph (a) above may opt to instead receive 40% of the eligible repair expense, up to a maximum of $800, if the National Class Member submits Proof of Internal Leak Repair Expense showing a repair costing over $1,500 due to a diagnosed internal coolant leak.

*The Engine Code is the 8th character of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

† Certain 2003 Model Year Vehicles are excluded. See www.gmcanadiansettlement.ca for further information.
Excluded under the Settlement

· Anyone who purchased or leased a vehicle for commercial or business purposes.
· An insurer or other business that has fully or partially indemnified its customer for an eligible repair, whether the insurer or other business is purporting to make a claim for benefits under this Settlement in a subrogated capacity or not.

HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM

National Class Members who wish to make a claim for reimbursement under the Settlement are required to submit a Claim Form and supporting documentation (including proof of the eligible repair, payment, and ownership/lease at the time of the repair) by the final deadline, April 30, 2009. Claim Forms and further information about the claims process is available from the class action settlement website, www.gmcanadiansettlement.ca or by contacting the General Motors Customer Communications Centre, toll free, at 1-800-263-3777 (English) or 1-800-263-7854 (French).

The claim deadline is April 30, 2009
Release of claims and the effect on other proceedings

You are releasing GM of liability and you shall be forever barred from commencing or continuing any legal action against GM relating to the claims in the class action and the Settlement benefits unless you choose to opt out of the settlement. However, if you opt out you will not be entitled to any of the Settlement benefits including the payment of money.

Opting out of the Settlement

If you are a National Class Member and do not wish to receive any money and would like to exclude yourself from the Settlement, you can opt out by obtaining an Opt Out Form from the Claims Administrator and filing it with the Claims Administrator, postmarked on or before December 8, 2008. You will be bound by the terms of the Settlement unless you opt out.

If you opt out, you will NOT receive any money and you will be ineligible to participate in the Settlement.

If you opt out, you shall retain the right to commence or continue any proceeding against GM in respect of any allegedly defective nylon intake manifold gasket that you are otherwise eligible for or entitled to as provided by law.
Class Counsel Fees

The Court provisionally approved the payment of Class Counsel’s fees and disbursements (including applicable taxes) of $2,816,000 up to August 28, 2008 and $131,250, including taxes, for further work after August 28, 2008, subject to further order of the courts. These amounts are to be paid by GM separately, and without reducing, the reimbursement payments it makes to National Class Members under the Settlement. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT
This Notice is a summary only. If you believe you are an eligible National Class Member you may review and/or obtain a copy of the Settlement at the website www.gmcanadiansettlement.ca

If you would like a copy of the Settlement or have questions concerning the Settlement or your eligibility as a National Class Member you can call the Claims Administrator's Information Line below or contact Class Counsel.

Further Information
Claim Forms and further information about the claims process is available from the class action settlement website, www.gmcanadiansettlement.ca or by contacting the General Motors Customer Communications Centre, toll free, at 1-800-263-3777 (English) or 1-800-263-7854 (French).

lame, lame, lame....(minus canadians ) i've fixed my intake twice, but i did it myself, and i did a friends alero... lame... i wish i could have gotten some money back cause i had to mill the heads the first time.... may have to do it again this summer(probably)...lame... btw, is there a good permament fix for this? (should probably read up, anyone got the link for where its at on here?)

Just an update. Anyone who got in on the lawsuit should be recieving checks.

Well I got my check today in the mail. I was pretty dissapointed considering how much I spent on the repair and what I was awarded back. I recieved only $100 under the clause "After 6th year of ownership after year of manufacturer, a reinburement upto a maximum of $100"...

How hard would it have been for GM to just make the freakin' gasket out of aluminum like the new one is? I've had mine replaced twice now, and now it finally doesn't have the piece of crap black plastic one that expands every time it cools down/heats up and then CRACKS!!!